We have a live one here, folks......

I certainly hope "AA" refers to either Alcoholics Anonymous or Affirmative Action.

I never said that EVERY white person did anything. I said that whites started using the ridiculous term "race card." LOL.

Everything is NOT the "race card" and that terminology is dumb. Plain and simple. LOL. Discrimination is based on outcome and not intent. If the OUTCOMES of practices are discriminatory against women, racial and ethnic minorities, the disabled...that's what the issue is. That doesn't mean that all claims of racism and discrimination are accurate, it means that people have a right to question them. Contrary to popular opinion, most racist and discriminatory practices never get called out. It takes a lot of time and effort to highlight everything that is perceived as racist (or sexist...or ageist) or discriminatory. Most minorities (including women, the elderly, and the disabled--we're talking about power constructs here) would rather just live their lives, and pray that they get just rewards, than sit around thinking about racism and discrimination everyday. I do agree that there are times when people of ALL "races" bring race into a topic when it shouldn't be brought in. However, charges of racism and discrimination are difficult to prove whereas you seem to think that filing such claims are the only thing on people's minds.

Uh...congrats on having Alcoholics Anonymous/Affirmative Action friends and frat brothers. There are racists who intermingle, date and marry interracially all the time. Surely you should bake your OWN cookies because I won't pat you on the back for the "accomplishment" of having AA friends. Like you're doing the world a favor.

I don't care about the slave trade, which every well read person knows was fueled by economic concerns and not "racism." I'm talking about the present and you're talking about the past. LOL...what's the point of having Alcoholic and Affirmative friends if you still see issues of race through a slave trade lens. Education is key, people, and pretending to be color blind so you won't have to SEE what's really going on out here is lame.....

We're all overwhelmed by Alcoholics and Affirmative, Tommy...surely....:rolleyes:

Sir, I'm gonna have to ask you to step out of your bubble. Keep your hands where I can see them and step slowwwwwwwwly out of your bubble.

We all agree that merit is great, Tommy. What you seem NOT to understand is that AmeriKKKa isn't a pure, individualistic meritocracy. If it were a pure meritocracy (with no one's ability to build social and human capital being cut down OR built up based on membership in a particular race, gender, or socioeconomic group) we wouldn't be having this discussion in the first place. No one ever said that racial and ethnic minorities should sit on their asses and collect royalty checks. Although, sitting on your ass and getting things based on privilege has worked for some members of the privileged groups for years. It's only a problem when OTHER people want group-based privilege.

Generalizations can only be made when you have valid information from which to generalize. Try reading some books and social science journals. It will add to your experiences as an officer of the law.

brains are sexy

How was your 21st?

i got soooooooooo wasted!!!!!

whoooooo!!!!!

:eek:

Well said. Most of what you say is well said, but I really like this one.

I'm not exactly sure if this question really fits into the discussion or not, but I didn't want to start a new thread on it because I don't think it's that different. I'm taking Survey of Black Literature in America this semester, and my professor has brought up a lot of interesting questions and things I'd never thought of before. Today in class, we discussed how, back in the days of slavery, black women were at a double disadvantage because of both their race and their gender.

We all know that both racism and sexism still persist. It's not like either were confined to the 1860's. So, my question is, for black women, do you think you encounter more racism or more sexism today? Or would you say it's more intertwined? Like, do you feel that any discrimination that's directed at you is more because you're "black," or more because you're "a woman," or more because you're "a black woman?" I know it's hard to say on something like that, but I was just curious. Sorry for the mini-hijack, by the way. :)

For me, I think that it is intertwined. I think it is all 3 "black" "woman" and "black woman". I feel like before anything else I am perceived as being BLACK first and then a woman second. I cannot explain why I feel this way. Sometimes I have to step "outside" of myself and evaluate things from an outside perspective and ask what if questions, because I don't know if my feelings are valid or if I am being paranoid.

i think that this is a good question. I think that you will be amazed at the responses that you will get.

One must look unto themselves for inner biasises and see where they are coming from, before critisicting others for their Biases, as everyone has their biases.

Based on their upbringing, life experences and, life styles is the main decission, not others. You do and act as people percieve You!

Do not hide behind a facade of what You want peple to think of You. Just be your self and not a BEM!:eek:

I don't know what a BEM is, but the rest of what you said here makes sense. It's true that you can only see the world through your eyes.

That's an interesting question. I honestly don't think I could separate what is racism and what is sexism, because they both are intertwined.

On the flip side, I've had a lot of opportunities offered to me because I'm a Black female, so its killing two birds with one stone in some ways, for those who count that sort of thing.

That sounds like a good class.

I'm going to force myself to answer this complex question with four sentences. It will be vague and I apologize in advance:

There are time when the intersectionality of race and gender has a positive impact and times when it has a negative impact. Instead of placing it within the framework of racism, I place it within the framework of prejudice and discrimination. It's based on the interaction of racial stereotypes with gender stereotypes. This interaction is not unique to black women but it takes on a different form.

That's not completely true. Part of being socially aware and wanting to eradicate "the isms" means you try to see the world through the eyes of others.

I think it's intertwined for me too. It's really hard to separate it. I think I get more discrimation for being a 'black woman' more than anything though. But like jubilance1922 said, I haven't just received discrimation for being a 'black woman'. There have been plusses too.

You're right. The key word is 'try'.